Darwin Professorial Fellow and Arthur Balfour Professor of Genetics Anne Ferguson-Smith CBE has been appointed as Executive Chair of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) by the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, Michelle Donelan. She will take up her new position on 1 July 2024.
A developmental geneticist and epigeneticist, Anne is currently the University’s Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and International Partnerships, as well as President of the Genetics Society.
“It’s a privilege to be chosen for such an important role, and to be able to champion BBSRC’s research strategy in alignment with national and global challenges,” she said.
“I’ve been supported by, and worked within, the BBSRC ecosystem for a number of years now in a range of contexts, so I’m delighted I will be leading a connected and effective community with such a strong legacy created by the previous Executive Chair.
I’m looking forward to working within UKRI to support talent development and end-to-end impactful research, from discovery to application. I will be connecting with ministers and other partners to drive an ambitious national agenda in research and innovation.”
Master of Darwin Dr Mike Rands said:
“I was delighted to hear that Darwin’s Professorial Fellow Anne Ferguson-Smith has been appointed as the next Executive Chair of BBSRC. As an international authority on genomic imprinting and epigenetic mechanisms in health and disease, with experience as Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and International Partnerships at Cambridge University, Anne will provide outstanding research knowledge, scientific leadership and a professional commitment to addressing global challenges in this new role. Darwin College is deeply proud of her and happy that she will remain an active member of our Fellowship while serving BBSRC.”
